I mean, this is a rather fun article to read but I'm not entirely sure about the thesis.
> AI Safety Is Mostly A Sex Cult.
> I don't think these people should make policy. (1/?)
One of the learnings from things like the whole Epstein saga has been there are a lot of sex cults in the policy making world and, yes, the people making policy generally shouldn't be. But I'm not sure this article actually comes up with a good explanation of why these particular people shouldn't be making policy. People having active sex lives isn't a disqualifying trait. Being in a cult doesn't disqualify people from being in politics. It is routine and expected that fields will have a lot of similar people in them (as I recall the overlap between security researchers and the furry community is unusual too, and that is hardly more important than justifying a passing comment).
It is more routine than the article writer seems to think for all the people in a small field to know each other and get on really well.
Falun Gong is a cult that claims following its tenets can cure any disease, so you don't need doctors (and that high level Falun Gong members are so perfectly healthy that they are hunted by CCP members for their perfect organs). The founder claims to have magical powers, like clairvoyance, levitation, walking through walls, omnipresence, the ability to cure diseases - at least some of which anyone who follows his teachings could reach. Extraterrestrials, higher dimensions, and other such are also part of it. Also, on the evil cult front, Falun Gong is a supporter of right wing extremists in both the USA and Europe.
So no, I don't agree there is much fundamental difference from Scientology.
Oh my, where did you get this from? I happen to know both. The founder of Scientology was a scientist who started with a somewhat decent idea, got popular in the US, but his fame passed quickly. He really craved for that fame, though, so he changed his teaching into some cultist stuff, paired with some sketchy lord and proceeded with demon invocations. His main book is Dianetics, and his followers are very vindictive to those who leave the cult.
Falun Dafa, on the other hand, is more like a Buddhist discipline. You are free to meditate in a park if you feel like it, you are free to go if you don't. There is no organisation, no one will know your name. Its main book is Zhuan Falun, which you could read to make your own opinion, rather than repeating someone's talking points. CCP hunts Falun Gong because its founder refused to become a part of CCP. You can read this story on Wikipedia. The situation is similar to the early days of Christianity when Nero burned christians alive and wanted to eradicate their faith. The irony is that today the Roman Empire has reduced to the city of Vatican which is the temple of Christianity. CCP will fall similarly.
As for organs extraction... well, read about the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. CCP sends there young Falun Gong followers and sells their organs to high rank officials. Demonic creativity. But what did you expect from a communist regime?
I checked Wikipedia, it says in the first paragraph that there's a 427 acre compound in upstate New York. Not bad for "no organisation". (It also contradicts your narrative about why CCP doesn't like them)
i talked to Falun Dafa friend a lot and there was not a word about some "organization", only like minded people who (if exist in the area) sometimes help each other. seems very different from scientology
roenxi · · focus · HN ↗
> AI Safety Is Mostly A Sex Cult.
> I don't think these people should make policy. (1/?)
One of the learnings from things like the whole Epstein saga has been there are a lot of sex cults in the policy making world and, yes, the people making policy generally shouldn't be. But I'm not sure this article actually comes up with a good explanation of why these particular people shouldn't be making policy. People having active sex lives isn't a disqualifying trait. Being in a cult doesn't disqualify people from being in politics. It is routine and expected that fields will have a lot of similar people in them (as I recall the overlap between security researchers and the furry community is unusual too, and that is hardly more important than justifying a passing comment).
It is more routine than the article writer seems to think for all the people in a small field to know each other and get on really well.
MetaWhirledPeas · · focus · HN ↗
Let's survey the American voters
ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
tsimionescu · · focus · HN ↗
akomtu · · focus · HN ↗
tsimionescu · · focus · HN ↗
So no, I don't agree there is much fundamental difference from Scientology.
akomtu · · focus · HN ↗
Falun Dafa, on the other hand, is more like a Buddhist discipline. You are free to meditate in a park if you feel like it, you are free to go if you don't. There is no organisation, no one will know your name. Its main book is Zhuan Falun, which you could read to make your own opinion, rather than repeating someone's talking points. CCP hunts Falun Gong because its founder refused to become a part of CCP. You can read this story on Wikipedia. The situation is similar to the early days of Christianity when Nero burned christians alive and wanted to eradicate their faith. The irony is that today the Roman Empire has reduced to the city of Vatican which is the temple of Christianity. CCP will fall similarly.
As for organs extraction... well, read about the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. CCP sends there young Falun Gong followers and sells their organs to high rank officials. Demonic creativity. But what did you expect from a communist regime?
dTal · · focus · HN ↗
ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗